Improved explosive compound



Tillnitntl TALIAFERRO P. SHAFFNER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Letters Patent No. 93,7'54=, dated August 17, 1869.

IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUHD.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making; part of the name To all whom, it may concern I longs, to make and use my invention or discovery, be-

fore mentioned, 1 will now proceed to describe the process employed by me.

By prel'ercuce I take one pound of pulverized red lead and one pound of nitro-glyceriue, and mix the two together, and thus mixed, 1 place the compound in a casing of intestines, bladder, or like materia In a short time, say within one day, the mixture solidifies to some extent, or becomes set, or a little thick. 1 tie. the ends of this sack or bug, thus confining the mixture in the form of a cart-ridge.

This substance or mixture is exploded by the laser? tion of a percussion-cap, and thc cxploding of the cap will explode the nitro-glyccriuc.

The benefits derived by this compound may he briefly mcntioncthas follows he metallic powder being elastic, if a heavy blow is put upon the compound, an explosion is not likely to occur; that is to say, any mechaniml force that might be thrown upon the substance would not likely, probably, or scarcely possibly, explode it; while, on the othcr' hand, the liquid uitro-glycerine, being'noncompressible, a. sharp blow docs sometimes explode it. 'lhc metal, to some extent, engages the free acids, that might, by timltyavashing, remain in the nitroglyccrinc, but, in ordcr to further secure this cominvented a new and improved expound from decomposition, l somctimes mix with it a small. quantity of 'plastcr of Paris, say about onequartc-r of a pound to the two pounds of mixture, hetore described. I prefer this plaster of Paris to be natural,'aml not calcined.

Besidcsthe rcd lead, before named, 1 use plumlmgo,

white lead, oxides of metals genera." y, metallic filings, crystals, or percipitatcd metallic substauccs,.or metallic residunn'is. These various forms or conditions of metal may be used in many instances, or under various circumstances. One oithc advantages of using lead, or metal of heavy specific gravity, is the-further certainty that the cartridge will sink in agreatoctlepth of water with more rapidity and certainty than nitroglyocrine singly, or when combined with a lightcrsubstance than water.

Any available alkaline substance may be mixcd with the bct'orc-nznncd compound of ,nitro-glyccrino and metallic atoms, for the purpose of engaging any free acids that might remain or exist in the said nitroglycerinc.

Having now fully described the nature and process of my discovery or invention, su' tliciently full and distinct to enable one skilled in the art to execute the same.

What i claim, anddesire to secure by letters Patcut, as my discovery or invention, is-- p -l A compouml,composed of a mixture of nitroglycerinc, with metallic powder or atoms, formed or produced, substantially in thc ma-nncr and for the purposes hercinbci'orc describcdf 2. The m xture l plasttr of Paris, or any alkaline substances, with the abm'c-iicsuilad compound, sidistant-ially in tho inauimra-nd for the purposcshcrcinbefore describcd.

TAL. P. SHAFFNER.

Witnesses:

Janus DEVEAA Gannon HAHMS,

however- 

